Amyl acetate is an organic compound

Organic compound

An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the...

 and an ester

Ester

Esters are chemical compounds derived by reacting an oxoacid with a hydroxyl compound such as an alcohol or phenol. Esters are usually derived from an inorganic acid or organic acid in which at least one -OH group is replaced by an -O-alkyl group, and most commonly from carboxylic acids and...

 with the chemical formula CH₃COO[CH₂]₄CH₃ and the molecular weight 130.19 g/mol. It has a scent similar to banana

Banana

Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....

s and apple

Apple

The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...

s which is not detectable by all people. The compound is the condensation product of acetic acid

Acetic acid

Acetic acid is an organic compound with the chemical formula CH3CO2H . It is a colourless liquid that when undiluted is also called glacial acetic acid. Acetic acid is the main component of vinegar , and has a distinctive sour taste and pungent smell...

 and 1-pentanol

1-Pentanol

1-Pentanol, , is an alcohol with five carbon atoms and the molecular formula C5H12O. 1-Pentanol is a colorless liquid with an unpleasant aroma. There are 8 alcohols with this molecular formula . The ester formed from butanoic acid and 1-pentanol, pentyl butyrate, smells like apricot...

. However, esters formed from other pentanol isomers (amyl alcohol

Amyl alcohol

An amyl alcohol is any of 8 alcohols with the formula C5H11OH. A mixture of amyl alcohols can be obtained from fusel alcohol. Amyl alcohol is used as a solvent and in esterfication for example in the production of amyl acetate...

s), or mixtures of pentanols, are often referred to as amyl acetate.

See also

• Isoamyl acetate
  Isoamyl acetate
  Isoamyl acetate, also known as isopentyl acetate, is an organic compound that is the ester formed from isoamyl alcohol and acetic acid. It is a colorless liquid that is only slightly soluble in water, but very soluble in most organic solvents...
  
  , also known as banana oil.
• Esters, organic molecules with the same functional groups